Georgia Tech had trouble with plays changed at the line of scrimmage. On the first play of Tech’s final drive, quarterback Tevin Washington changed the play at the line of scrimmage. However, B-back David Sims apparently didn’t hear it, causing him to run in the wrong direction on a designed toss to A-back Roddy Jones. The toss deflected off Sims, resulting in a 4-yard loss.
“That’s on everybody,” Jones said. “Everybody’s got to be focused on what Tevin’s saying. It might be hard to hear, but we’ve got to find a way to make it work.”
On a third-down play in the third quarter, Johnson called for receiver Jeff Greene to run a hitch route, but because the cornerback played close to the line, Greene converted the route into an apparent fade route. He was unable to extricate himself from the cornerback and Washington’s lobbed pass fell incomplete. Tech punted on the next play.
“It probably wasn’t a good call,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t very good execution.”
Hearing set
Tech was notified this past week that the in-person hearing for the appeal of its NCAA case has been set for Nov. 15 in Indianapolis, associate athletic director Wayne Hogan said Saturday. The appeals committee that will hear the case is expected to return a verdict in between 30 and 60 days after the hearing.
Tech is appealing the NCAA’s findings of a failure to cooperate and to meet the conditions and obligations of membership in an investigation into allegations of impermissible benefits to two former football players, as well as the resulting penalty that vacated the school’s 2009 ACC football championship.
No excuses
No Tech players used it as an excuse, but Virginia players and coach Mike London said they benefited from the extra rest and preparation time they had because of their open date last Saturday.
“They throw so much at you and everyone has to be sound fundamentally and we had a lot of time to work on that,” Virginia defensive tackle Matt Conrath said.
On top of that, Virginia had its fall break this past week at the same time that many Tech players were taking midterm exams.
Said Washington, “I think we both had the same amount of juice out there.”
Special teams
Tech’s special teams again were something less than a strength. The Jackets benefitted from Darren Waller’s apparent block of a first-half field-goal attempt and, but for one botched kick, good play on kickoff coverage. On its five kickoff returns, Tech took touchbacks on two, failed to clear the 20-yard line on two and returned one to its 39-yard line. Punter Sean Poole netted 31.0 yards on four punts. Kicker Justin Moore had his only field-goal try, a 52-yarder, blocked.
Linebacker updates
Though he was cleared to play, inside linebacker Daniel Drummond did not play Saturday. Drummond had started four of the first five games of the season before a leg injury against N.C. State caused him to sit out the Maryland game. Quayshawn Nealy started opposite inside linebacker Julian Burnett and led Tech with 10 tackles. Jeremiah Attaochu did not make the trip.
Etc.
Johnson said he was not aware of any injuries coming out of the game. ... Tech failed to score on its first possession for the first time this season. ... Tech has now lost 10 times in 14 trips to Scott Stadium. Before its win in Charlottesville in 2009, the Jackets had lost in eight consecutive visits. ... Tech’s kickoff time for the Miami game next Saturday will be announced by noon Sunday. Game time for the Oct. 29 Clemson game is scheduled to be released Monday around noon.
